Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Vow (2012) [PG-13] ***

Paige is a talented, young sculptress, and Leo runs a small recording studio. They recently got married in an unauthorized ceremony inside the Chicago Art Institute, live in an inner-city loft and are very much in love. Then, one winter evening in the middle of a snowstorm, their car is rear-ended by a truck. Paige (played by Rachel McAdams)suffers serious brain trauma, and after she awakens from her coma, she doesn't remember Leo (played by Channing Tatum) or anything else from the last four years of her life. Alienated from Leo and from her work, Paige can only relate to her past. So she decides to move back home with her wealthy parents (played by Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) in suburban Lake Forest. As Paige reconnects with her sister, her ex-fiance and her high school friends, Leo realizes that she is growing more and more distant from him. Desperately he attempts to court her again, without much success.Co-written by Abby Kohn and Mark Silverstein (Never Been Kissed, He’s Just Not That Into You, Valentine’s Day), and based on a true story written by Stuart Sender, this is a bittersweet romantic drama that will likely appeal to viewers who enjoy Nicholas Sparks' tragic romantic dramas, films like The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, Nights in Rodanthe, The Last Song. For the rest of us, there may not be much of a payoff. While Channing Tatum plays Leo in a rather wooden, emotionless manner, it is Rachel McAdams' energy and passion that enliven the film and keep it from sinking. So, if you are a fan of Rachel McAdams, and you've enjoyed her in State of Play, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Sherlock Holmes, Morning Glory or Midnight in Paris, you will likely enjoy her performance in The Vow. Labels: drama, romance Internet Movie DatabaseMetacritic 43/100RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=49, viewers=72)Blu-ray